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Begun in 2000, Adora Doll Company creates unusually beautiful high-end vinyl baby dolls. Many are limited editions. |
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Even as a young child, I was searching for a way to express myself. At the age of seven, I dreamt about a career as a ballet dancer or opera singer. But at the same time, I was sitting next to my mother at her sewing machine, waiting for remnants of fabric from the children's cloths she made. Using these leftover fabrics, I created ballroom dresses for my handmade and Barbie dolls.
After secondary school,. I attended an educational academy and became a teacher. But after five years in education, I needed to find a way to express my creative energy. So I went to a conservatory to study music. During this time, I visited a dollmakers' exhibition. From that moment on, I was sure what my life work would be, I wanted to become a dollmaker. And so I did. That happened 20 years ago, and I am still making dolls today.
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Berdine Creedy is originally from South Africa. She grew up on a wheat farm in the Cape Town area and was a school teacher for over 10 years, and there is where Berdine developed my love for children. Having four of her own and not teaching anymore, she thought of starting to create them in clay. In 1993 Berdine went to Nurnberg for the International Toy Fair and she met Hildegard Gunzel, Annette Himstedt, Ruth Treffeisen and more world renown artist. That was so impressive for her, seeing and admiring their dolls, that she decided there and then that if I start doing dolls right now, she will also be there in Nurnberg Toy Fair some time in the future. |
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Corolle was founded in 1978. The company is located in the Loire Valley, the storybook region of France that is famous for its scenic beauty and magnificent chateaux.
Since its founding, Corolle has achieved global recognition for its dolls, winning more than 30 international awards for design and play excellence, including two DOTY awards (Doll Of The Year), a DOLLS magazine Awards of Excellence nomination, as well as awards from the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, National Parenting Publications (NAPPA), and Dr. Toy. |
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Since 1910 The Effanbee Doll Company has produced dolls for collectors. Now owned by Tonner Doll Company, The Effanbee collection is better than ever. |
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Many years ago, after attending many doll-making courses and seminars, Erika Catellani began to create her own models. She formed the original out of a special mass and then a woodcarver sculpted the design. Mrs. Catellani could then fine tune the facial features and by the same process design her own arms and legs. In order to obtain several copies from the same model, she had bronze moulds of the designs made. This way many different heads, arms and legs could be created and each doll still have completely different look due to the clothing, hair and painting (each doll's face is hand-painted by the artist). Therefore she prevents any type of mass production and each doll receives it's own character |
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Since 1986 Gaby has designed porcelain dolls in small limited editions. Every doll is exclusive and each doll is carefully produced with great dedication in her small manufacturing studio. |
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Heidi Plusczok has been molding collector's porcelain and vinyl dolls since 1989. Children are her specialty. It is her biggest urge to capture the natural expression, the gestures, and the mimic art of children. |
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Helen Kish is a sculptor who shares with collectors her vision of the beauty and poignancy of the human spirit in one-of-a-kind stoneware figures, bronze works and porcelain dolls. |
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Since she founded her company in 1980, Lee Middleton created many loved dolls. Since her untimely death in 1997, the company continues to create new dolls worthy of the Lee Middleton name. |
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A lifelong doll lover, Linda Mason has been at work in her Northern California studio for over twenty years. Inspired by her large family and many friends, she uses real children as models for many of her amazingly lifelike child dolls. They come to life only when completed, each revealing its unique personality and whispering" the appropriate name.
Linda Mason, many-time winner of both the prestigious Dolls Award of Excellence and Doll of the Year (DOTY) awards, most recently received a 2004 Dolls Award of Excellence for her Treasury Collection doll, Valentine's Kisses.
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Maggie Iacono has created the only collectible, pressed wool felt doll that is completely poseable using her own unique ball jointing system. Each doll is crafted by hand creating small, limited editions that are truly unique and valued by collectors around the world. |
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Nancy Pedroso Latham was born in Havana, Cuba and came to the United States in the early '60s.The Wistful Children are inspired by antique photographs of children. The dolls are costumed to represent these children, and accompanying some of the dolls are photographs of the children they portray. Their Bodies are made of cotton. Faces are structured and covered with cloth. Facial features are hand painted. |
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The Alcove carries a unique collection of one-of-a-kind and very limited edition dolls created by talented and well known doll designers. Please remember that all dolls in this section are subject to prior sale. The Alcove layaway plan helps many doll collectors acquire valuable works. See our About Us page for details. |
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The Alcove carries a unique collection of one-of-a-kind and very limited edition dolls created by talented and well known doll designers. Please remember that all dolls in this section are subject to prior sale. The Alcove layaway plan helps many doll collectors acquire valuable works. See our About Us page for details. |
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Oren Village Dolls at the Alcove Unique Gifts |
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Pauline Middleton began to sculpt and create her "children" in the mid 80's and has not only become recognized for her talent in her native Australia, but is fast making inroads into International markets. |
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All of Sandi's dolls are derived from her original sculptures, and produced in the U.S. Every aspect of the doll is designed and created by Sandi. They are considered "character dolls" because of their humorous concept, and unusual facial features. |
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Once upon a time, a little girl fell in love with a doll:
The time was 1957, and and a young Chinese girl named Ruby pressed against the glass of a department store window in her hometown, enraptured with a doll that mirrored her own likeness. Alas, she was unable to afford the object of her desire - but her heart never forgot its deep affection.
Ruby grew to become a world-class master wigmaker. Today she puts her skills - and those of a skilled and highly dedicated group of artisans - to work creating dolls even more lovely than the one who captured her heart over 50 years ago. "This precious doll has been my guiding light and my best companion, and I hope our creations can spread joy to the world as she did to me," she says. |
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The Tonner Doll Company is internationally renowned for award-winning dolls that encourage the young—and the young-at-heart—to Believe in the Power of Play™. Inspired by a passion for doll collecting, the company has manufactured fine dolls designed and sculpted by Robert Tonner, from little girl and classic character dolls that recapture the magic of childhood memories, to fully articulated high fashion dolls with exquisite collections of costumes that depict the quintessential American style. |
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Uta Brauser creates one-of-a-kind and limited edition dolls. Please note that all works shown are subject to prior sale. |
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Valire Zeitler uses the fabrics in my work room are the rags waiting to be transformed into something wonderful. In Vals studio bright, colored fabrics come together to create whimsical characters for the Rag Patch. |
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The Xenis Collection is the creator behind some of the world`s most beautiful wooden dolls. The company was founded in 1994 by Marlene Xenis who, in the first years, worked from the basement of her home. Marlene was later joined by her two daughters, Tania and Jesse along with a team of highly skilled artists. The business was moved into a beautiful studio on acreage in Aldergrove, a small town just outside of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada |
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Zofia and Henry were born in Poland. Zofia was educated at various art schools to broaden her talents in sculpting, costume design, anatomy and painting. Henry completed similar schools studying painting, drawing, sculpture and ceramics. Later they met and married. Together they opened a design business. They also have won many awards such as Dolls of Exellence and DOTY. |
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